On national pepperoni pizza day, you could do worse than the Roni Island at Pizza Marvin. You can follow me through the week on threads and what we used to call the twitters. Here we go. *** Want to get my column in your inbox every Friday? Just sign up right here. *** STORY OF […]
Washington Bridge
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for Sept. 6, 2024
Happy PVDFest Weekend! You can follow me through the week on threads and what we used to call the twitters. Here we go. *** Want to get my column in your inbox every Friday? Just sign up right here. *** STORY OF THE WEEK: The marquee race in Rhode Island’s primary election on Tuesday is […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, Transportation
State of RI sues 13 companies over Washington Bridge
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha announced Friday that the state is suing 13 companies that worked on the Washington Bridge, in an effort “to hold accountable those companies responsible for the near-miss catastrophic closure of the bridge and to recover the significant resources required to rebuild the bridge and compensate the state.” In a […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, Transportation
Lawsuit over westbound Washington Bridge likely, state’s lawyer says
A lawyer hired by the state of Rhode Island to claw back money for the debacle involving the westbound Washington Bridge said a lawsuit is more likely than not, although a final decision is not expected for a few more weeks. Barring a surprise, lawyer Max Wistow said the call on whether to pursue litigation […]
Posted inLocal, Metro Desk, Politics
With no bids to rebuild, RI officials decline to define timeline for opening westbound Washington Bridge
State officials declined on Tuesday to project when a new westbound Washington Bridge would open. Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee’s administration plans to issue a request for information to determine why a proposal to rebuild the span attracted no bids by a recent deadline. The governor declined at a press conference to say what the […]
Posted inLocal, Political Roundtable, Politics
RI Senate Democratic Whip Val Lawson on Washington Bridge, East Providence and the future of the Senate
Valarie Lawson has enjoyed a rapid rise in the Rhode Island Senate. Lawson was first elected in 2018 and she is now the third-ranking member in the chamber. The East Providence Democrat may climb even higher. Senate president Dominick Ruggerio is 75. If he wins re-election this year, Ruggerio is expected to pass the Senate […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, Transportation
Rhode Island GOP lambasts Democrats for handling of Washington Bridge
With the demolition and replacement cost for the westbound Washington Bridge rising to more than $400 million, Rhode Island GOP Chairman Joe Powers staged a news conference Tuesday to sharply criticize how a string of Democratic leaders have handled the situation. The administration of Gov. Dan McKee disclosed the $400 million figure on Monday – […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for April 26, 2024
We can only wonder how much better the Sox might be without a spate of injuries. You can follow me through the week on threads and what we used to call the twitters. Here we go. *** Want to get my column in your inbox every Friday? Just sign up right here. *** STORY OF […]
Posted inPolitics, The Weekly Catch, Transportation
Decade-old report warned of Washington Bridge issues, envisioning the future of RIPTA, and more
An investigation by the Providence Journal this week revealed that the Washington Bridge has had structural problems for years – and that the state knew about it as long ago as 2014. Providence Journal reporter Patrick Anderson joins us to talk about what he found. Also, RIPTA is in need of a new leader now that CEO Scott Avedisian has stepped down. We hear from transit advocates about their vision for the agency, and who they’d like to see take the helm. And while many artists are concerned about the growing threat of artificial intelligence, Griffin Smith is teaching students at RISD how to work with AI and not run from it. That and more on this week’s show.
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for April 19, 2024
School vacation week made for some swift journeys across the Washington Bridge. You can follow me through the week on threads and what we used to call the twitters. Here we go. *** Want to get my column in your inbox every Friday? Just sign up right here. *** STORY OF THE WEEK: As the […]